Nevada’s ‘Link’ to success
Whether she is charging the net, making a key pass or diving for a dig, Nicole Link is always showcasing her versatility.
Her position at libero demands that she not only wear an off-color jersey, but that she also does a little bit of everything on the court.
“I call it being the captain of the back row,” Link said.
The libero position, which the National Collegiate Athletics Association introduced in 2002, is usually the team leader on defense. The libero also wears an off-color jersey, usually white when Nevada wears blue and blue when Nevada wears white.
Link epitomizes the position’s needs as the leader of Nevada’s defense.
She displayed that leadership Thursday when she led Nevada with 12 digs. Nevada had 46 digs in its 3-1 win. Setter Sonnie Sei had a dominant 41 assists Thursday, attributing her success to the consistency of the back row.
“Nicole and I are always on the court and she’s a great leader,” Sei said.
Nevada (11-10, 6-5 in WAC) also beat Utah State 3-1 Saturday to move into fourth place in the Western Athletic Conference. The Wolf Pack has won six of its last seven games this season.
Nevada’s success can be attributed to its defensive specialist. Link has led the Wolf Pack this season in digs with 291.
Officially the libero position is defined as a designated back-row player intended to be used as a ball-control specialist. Nevada’s Link has found success this season in the position, leading the strong defense of the Nevada Volleyball team. Her performance has been crucial during the tough schedule that has tested the back row throughout the season.
The success of volleyball runs deep through the Link bloodlines. Ken Link, Nicole’s father, is a current two-time gold medal winner and was named Most Valuable Player of the United States Volleyball Association Men’s 45’s division at nationals. Nicole’s Aunt Katie Haller played for the women’s beach volleyball USA National Team and turned pro to play in Belgium. Scott Metcalf, her uncle, played for three years on the USA National Team and one year in Belgium as well.
Nicole cites her father as her main influence.
“He would coach me honestly and tell me if I was making mistakes,” Link said.
Link shined in high school in both volleyball (four-year letter winner) and soccer (three-year letter winner). She spent three years as team captain in volleyball and one in soccer, which led to her leadership ability on the court today. During her time on both teams she was awarded many honors: named to the 2006 state all-tournament team, state citizenship sportsmanship honoree and the Christian Brothers High School MVP for volleyball. Even though she found success in both sports, her heart was with volleyball.
“I loved the soccer girls but soccer was kind of just my way to get exercise before volleyball started,” Link said.
Coming to Nevada last year as a freshman, Link earned a starting position on the volleyball team. Last year, Link put up impressive numbers as both a libero and an outside hitter. She scored double digits in digs in seven games and averaged over two digs per game. She showed off her versatility as a player in the 2007-2008 season opener against Fresno State, posting 10 kills, two service aces, two assists, four digs and five block assists.
“I love to hit and block, but I feel I’m more of an asset to the team as a libero,” she said.
Link will have to be just as good as ever to keep tournament dreams alive during the conference season. However, teammates have no doubt that Link will be up to the task.
“She’s a baller,” Sonnie Sei said.
Garrett Estrada can be reached at editor@nevadasagebrush.com.
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